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What’s playing in Madison theaters: July 26-August 1, 2013

“The Wolverine” (Point, Eastgate, Star Cinema) — Hugh Jackman yet again reprises his role as everybody’s favorite snikt-ing superhero, but this looks to be a major step up from “X-Men Origins: Wolverine,” with a grittier tone, a Japanese locale, and James Mangold (“3:10 to Yuma”) directing.

“Fruitvale Station” (Star Cinema, Sundance) — This lauded film from this year’s Sundance Film Festival follows the last day in the life of a drug dealer, who was shot in the back while being held by police in an incident that made national headlines.

Friday

“The Fall” (7 p.m., Union South Marquee Theatre, 1308 W. Dayton St.) — Roger Ebert was a big fan of Tarsem Singh’s eye-popping, self-financed spectacle, in which an injured stuntman’s fanciful tales to a young Romanian girl are spun out on the big screen. The visuals are simply breathtaking and need to be seen on the big screen. Free!

Monday

“Galaxy Quest” (9 p.m., UW Memorial Union Terrace, 800 Langdon St.) — Trekkies will love this absolutely delightful spoof, as the case of a faded sci-fi TV series gets kidnapped by aliens who think they are the real thing. Free!

“Oz The Great and Powerful” (10 p.m. Star Cinema) — Sam Raimi attempts to capture the magic of “The Wizard of Oz” with this prequel, starring James Franco as a young Wiz, but only succeeds in making a lot of pretty pictures that make you long for the original. Admission is only $3, with proceeds going to autism research.

Tuesday

“The Croods” (10 a.m., Point and Eastgate) — One of the nicest surprises of 2013 was this animated film, about a cavemen family trying to outrun the apocalypse. The movie is genuinely funny and beautiful, has a surprisingly moving father-daughter relationship, and the teenage girl Emma Stone plays actually looks like a real teenage girl, not a Disneyfied princess. Admission is only $2 as part of the Marcus Kids Dream film series.

“Oz the Great and Powerful” (10 p.m., Star Cinema) — See Monday listing.

Wednesday

“The Croods” (10 a.m. Point and Eastgate) — See Tuesday listing

“American Graffiti” (Sundance Cinemas) — George Lucas’ film was an elegaic ode to his 1950s California upbringing, as a group of friends (including Ron Howard and Richard Dreyfuss) tool around town for one last night before adulthood calls. It’s funny and poignant, and still hard to believe Lucas made it.

“Oz the Great and Powerful” (10 p.m., Star Cinema) — See Monday listing.

Thursday

“The Croods” (10 a.m. Point and Eastgate) — See Tuesday listing

“As Long as You’re Healthy” and “The Land of Milk and Honey” ( 7 p.m., 4070 Vilas Hall, 821 University Ave.) — The Cinematheque’s tribute to the great French comic filmmaker Pierre Etaix concludes with this double feature. The first film features four delightful short films; the second is a satirical documentary about French life that essentially got his blackballed from moviemaking. Free!